Fillet tensioning device in card fillet manufacturing machines



y 31, 1956 G. FRENO 2,756,993

FILLET TENSIONING DEVICE} IN CARD FILLET MANUFACTURING MACHINES Filed June 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. 6 "usa n Fhm, BY

2? 32 [mm Z y 1956 G. FRENO 2,756,

FILLET TENSIONING DEVICE IN CARD FILLET MANUFACTURING MACHINES Filed June 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. duserfz Franc United States Patent Office 2,756,993 Patented July 31, 1956 FILLET TENSIONING DEVICE IN CARD FILLET MANUFACTURING MAQHINES Giuseppe Freno, Milan, Italy, assignor to Manifattura Italiana di Scartlassi, Biella, Italy, a firm Application June 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,873

2 Claims. (Cl. 2712.3)

Machines for manufacturing card fillets have the task of setting into the base clothing the card wires designed to act on the textile fibres after the fillets have been mounted on card cylinders. In known fillet manufacturing machines, the wire point supporting fillet is brought in front of the wire setting device, and is traversed past said device for the successive setting of all wires of the same row, after which the fillet is longitudinally indexed for the setting of wires of the next row, and so on.

It is essential that the fillet be kept rigidly stretched in the section which is in register with the wire-setting device, if an accurate spacing of wire rows as well as a reliable setting of wires are to be obtained. The tension under which the fillet is held, must obviously show a consistent and accurately established value, according to manufacturing requirements.

In the heretofore known machines for the aforestated purpose, the fillet tension is ensured by means of suitable overhead back-gears arranged in the same workroom, and by purposely fitted fillet guide framings, the fillet tension being ensured, past the aforesaid back gear, by means of counterweights.

The above said arrangement results in a serious complication in the equipment of fillet manufacturing rooms, particularly when the machines are not fitted with single drives, but are instead driven from a single overhead transmission shaft by means of belts. Large transmission equipment is required.

Moreover, as the manufacturing of card fillets proceeds, the counterweight secured to the fillet is gradually lowered toward the floor, and eventually comes to rest on it, whereby the tensioning effect is no longer exerted on the fillet.

This invention relates to a tensioning device for card fillet manufacturing machines, by means of which the necessity for framing equipment required to send the fillet to the overhead back gear and to cause the counterweight to act thereon, is wholly obviated;

By the device of the present invention, it is possible to directly wrap the fillets on collecting reels, to which they can be fed without the deflections, that are unavoidable when use is made of counterweights.

This device is essentially characterized by the presence of a tensioning roller, the peripheral surface of which is adapted to be engaged by the wires of fillets manufactured by the machine, such a roller being keyed on a shaft supported by the machine frame, and being operatively connected with the shaft by which the fillet feeding device is driven, so as to keep said fillet permanently and consistently stretched in front of the wire setting device,- as well as between this latter and the tensioning roller.

The arrangement according to this invention consists therefore essentially in ensuring the fillet tension without any counterweight, by maintaining between the tensioning roller and the wire setting device a pre-de'termined fillet length, that is accurately held by means of a suitable mechanism, which ensures that the rotary motion of said tensioning roller is exactly synchronized with the feed motion of the fillet that is being manufactured. Said tensioning roller must accomplish all those axial displacements required by the traverse reciprocating motion of the fillet, taking into account that consistency of its tensioning action must be positively ensured in spite of such displacements.

One embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings. Said embodiment has been assumed as fitted on a conventional machine for the manufacturing of card fillets. Fig. 1 is a front view of the device, partially broken away, while Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of same device. Fig. 3 is a side view and Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 44 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The device consists of a supporting shaft 1, mounted on side bearings 2 of the machine. The wires are set on the portion 4 of the fillet 3 that is being manufactured by means of already known, conventional devices which form no part of the present invention but which are denoted diagrammatically at 45 in Fig; 1. Before the fillet is provided with the wires, the fillet is passed between the rollers 5 and 6 (see Fig. 4), and thereafter it comes to rest against roller 7, by which the suitable angle of inclination is given to the wires set on the fillet; then the fillet passes over a tensioning roller 8, in the upper part of machine. Roller 5 is secured on a shaft 39 to rotate therewith; Roller 6 may be an idler roller.

Said tensioning roller 8 is mounted on shaft 1 against rotation relative thereto, being however allowed to accomplish a given axial displacement in respect to said shaft. To such a purpose, said roller 8 is keyed to its shaft not directly, but through a coupling system. This coupling system comprises a bushing 12 which is fixed to the shaft 1 by a pin 38 (Fig. 1). Bushing 12 has four axial gi'ooves or tracks 11 on its periphery, spaced apart (Fig. 4). Two balls 9 are seated in each of these grooves. A cylindrical cage 10 holds the eight balls in their assembled positions (Fig. 1). This cage obviously can slide longitudinally (axially) on the shaft 1 together with the balls 9'. Surrounding the balls 9 is a second bushing 14 which has four internal, axial grooves or tracks 13 in which the balls 9 can also roll. Thus, no relative rotary motion will take place between the bushings 1'4 and 12, and, therefore, between the bushing 14 and the shaft 1. The bushing 14 can, however, slide 'on the bushing 12 axially with respect to shaft 1. The roller 8 is rigidly secuted to the bushing 14 by bolting, welding or otherwise fastening it to the bushing.

The roller 8 is a peripherally-grooved roller; and its peripheral grooved surface is covered with a suitable material 15,- such as felt, thus allowing a reliable engagement therewith of the wires with which the fillet is pro= vided.

The fillet 3 engages with said roller 8 by means of its wires; then it is fed externally of machineand wound on collecting reels, being guided during this latter movement by guide rollers such as 16 (Figs. 3 and 4), rotatably supported on the machine frame.

An adjusting device, consisting of a suitable gear 17 (Figs. 1 and 2) and of a pair of friction shoes 23 and 24; designed to adjust the tension of the card fillet while it is being manufactured, is secured to a journal 34, outside of one of the bearings 2. The two shoes 23 and 24 have internal arc'uate gripping surfaces and are tightened on the journal 34 by means of bolts or screws 35 and 36 (Fig. 2). The journal 34 is secured to the shaft 1 by pin 37 (Fig. 1). A shear pin 30 (Fig. 3) connects the shoe 23 to the ratchet gear 29 so that when this gear rotates, the shoes 23, 24, journal 34, and shaft 1 rotate. The shaft 1 is thus rotated as far as the friction between the shoes and the shaft permit it. If the resistance are: by the shaft exceeds a predetermined limit, the shoes will 3 slip on the shaft. If the friction between the shoes and the shaft becomes excessive for any reason, the shear pin 30 will break, thus preventing transmission of any excessive stress.

A gearbox is fitted in the lower section of said adjusting device, so as to be into communication with the shaft 39 (Fig. l) by which the longitudinal feed motion is given to the fillet. The gear 19 is fitted on the latter shaft and drives the gear 20, rotatably mounted on the machine frame and rigidly secured to the gear 21. Gears 20 and 21 rotate, of course, in the opposite direction from gear 19 and shaft 39.

The gears 21 and 17 are connected to one another by a transmission chain 22, provided with back gear and chain tightener 25 (see Fig. 3) fitted to one of bearings 2. By means of said transmission chain, the longitudinal feed motion, that is given to the fillet 3 by the roller arranged below the wire setting device, is kinematically connected with the rotary motion which is to be imparted to the tensioning roller 8, in order that the fillet length between said wire setting device and the point wherein the fillet is engaged with the tensioning roller be kept positively uniform, i. e. in order that the tension exerted on said fillet be kept consistently uniform. Gear 17 is driven through chain 22 in the same direction as gears 21 and 20, but at a reduced speed.

The drive is transmitted from gear 17 by means of pawl 18 to ratchet gear 29, then through the connecting pin 30 to friction shoes 23 and 24, and finally to shaft 1. The pawl 18 (Figs. 1 and 3) is urged into engagement with the ratchet gear 29 by the spring 26.

The ratchet drive 18 and 29 serves to give to fillet 3 the initial working tension. The adjustment of the tension is made by means of a rod driven into a hole 31, and by revolving the tensioning roller 8 until the required working tension has been attained. Moreover, said pawl 18 can be disengaged from ratchet wheel 29 to disconmeet the gear 17 from tensioning roller 8 in case it is required to reduce or to release the fillet tension.

When the machine is in operation, roller 5 is driven by rotation of shaft 39 in the opposite direction from the direction of rotation of the gear 17, ratchet wheel 29, and roller 8. However roller 5 is at one side of the fillet 3 and the roller 8 is at the opposite side of the fillet (see Fig. 4), so that they cooperate to feed the fillet longitudinally. Roller 8, however, exerts a constant tension on the fillet because while this roller 8 is driven at a slower speed than roller 5 it is considerably larger in diameter than the diameter of roller 5.

The tension given to the fillet is initially established by locking in a suitable manner the shoes 23 and 24 on journal 34 whereby, should said tension value be exceeded, the friction device fitted to journal 34 and acting through shoes 23 and 24, causes said journal, and the shaft 1 connected to it, to slip in respect to gears 17 by which they are driven.

The pressure to be exerted by the shoes 23 and 24 on journal 34 must be exactly established, when adjusting the device, by means of a dynamometer fitted in place of fillet 3, i. e. between roller 7 and tensioning roller 8.

A rod 28, provided with end stops 27 (Figs. 2 and 4) by which the axial stroke of roller 8 along the shaft 1 is limited, is secured crosswise to bearings 2 of machine. Said stops can be adjusted according to the amplitude required for the reciprocating motion of roller and depending upon the side movements of the fillet 3. As already stated, said displacements of roller 8 are required to conform the traversing motion of the fillet while the wires are set on each row, without changes in the tension being imparted by the roller to fillet 3.

One of said stops 27, i. e. that located on the side from which the fillet is coming out, is movable and is pushed continuously against the roller 8 by a spring 32, in order to compensate for the transverse force imparted to the 4 roller by the weight of the finished fillet that is coming out of the machine.

By the device of the invention, a remarkable simplification can be attained in the design of the conventional card fillet manufacturing machines. In case the machine is provided with a single drive, it can be made wholly independent as to its location in the workroom, since any necessity of an overhead back-gear for the suspension of fillets is wholly obviated. By the same device, a more practical and functional design can be given to the machine, and the advantages which can be drawn from such improvements in design, result in a higher output, since the operator is no more obliged to adjust from time to time by empiric systems, the tension of the fillet that is being manufactured.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim 1. In a machine for setting wires in card fillet clothing, a plurality of rotary feed rollers engaging opposite sides of the clothing for feeding the fillet clothing longitudinally, means for positively driving at least one of said feed rollers, a tensioning roller spaced from the feed rollers in the direction of longitudinal travel of said fillet clothing and over which the fillet clothing passes after the wires have been set therein, said tensioning roller being larger in diameter than said one feed roller and being covered circumferentially with a cloth material in which the wires on the fillet clothing engage as the fillet clothing passes over said tensioning roller, to drive said fillet clothing, a shaft on which said tensioning roller is mounted coaxially, means for securing said tensioning roller against rotation relative to said shaft while permitting movement of the tensioning roller axially of said shaft so that the tensioning roller may follow any lateral motion of the fillet clothing, a rotary drive member mounted coaxially of said shaft, friction coupling means connecting said drive member to said shaft to drive said shaft from said drive member while permitting relative slippage between said drive member and said shaft, and means for driving said drive member simultaneously with said one feed roller but at a rate to tension the fillet clothing between said one drive roller and said tensioning roller as the fillet clothing is driven by said tensioning roller.

2. In a machine for setting wires in card fillet clothing, a plurality of rotary feed rollers rotatable about parallel axes and engaging opposite sides of the clothing for feeding a fillet longitudinally, a drive shaft, means for positively driving at least one of said feed rollers from said drive shaft, a tensioning roller spaced from the feed rollers in the direction of longitudinal travel of the fillet clothing, and over which the fillet clothing passes after the wires have been set therein, said tensioning roller being larger in diameter than said one feed roller and being rotatable about an axis parallel to the axes of said feed rollers and being covered circumferentially with a cloth material in which the wires on the fillet clothing engage as the fillet clothing passes over said tensioning roller, a driven shaft on which said tensioning roller is keyed for rotation with said driven shaft but for axial movement relative thereto, a ratchet wheel rotatable on said driven shaft, a gear coaxial with said ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by said gear and engaging said ratchet wheel to drive said ratchet wheel on rotation of said gear in one direction, means for driving said gear from said drive shaft to cause said tensioning roller to tension the fillet clothing, and a friction coupling connecting said ratchet wheel with said driven shaft to drive said driven shaft and said tensioning roller while allowing slippage of said driven shaft relative to said ratchet wheel.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Eckerson Sept. 30, 1890 Hoe Feb, 3, 1914 Lockwood July 15, 1919 Biggert May 28, 1929 Funk June 25, 1929 Richardson July 18, 1933 Marchant Feb. 26, 1935 10 6 Biggert June 11, 1935 Miller June 25, 1935 McClay Sept. 7, 1937 MacChesney Dec. 20, 1938 Anderson Apr. 18, 1950 Debrie May 22, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 22, 1933 

